Photo by Caroline Rice Bobbit
As a child, Amy Jason drew inspiration from a Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook, sparking her passion for baking sweets. With encouragement from her parents, Amy grew up baking for friends, family–snowballing into her baking for supper clubs, Bible studies, PTO meetings and more as she became a mother, herself. Deciding to take a leap of faith and start a business, Amy opened the first-ever Cookie Fix in Homewood in 2016, and in April 2024, Cookie Fix opened in The Village at Brock’s Gap. Here, Amy provides an insider’s scoop on the cookie business.
Where did your love for baking originate?
It brings me great joy to make something for someone. Baking is such a creative outlet. I learned to bake when I was 10 years old. I loved to bake for my mom and dad because it brightened their day. My dad had a big sweet tooth. I would make something, and I wouldn’t let them come in the kitchen. I would enter the room as if I was carrying this huge cake in my hands. My dad would beam with joy at whatever I brought–it didn’t matter if it was good. I loved doing that.
How did Cookie Fix come to be?
With kids, the time to make complicated desserts was gone. The kids really loved cookies, and it was a great afternoon activity. I would test different batches just because I wanted to find what I considered the very best oatmeal chocolate cookie recipe. All of this testing–I had to give them to somebody. People came to know me from my cookies. The oatmeal toffee chocolate chip cookie is what got the party started. Once I perfected that recipe, it became the one that I gave to everybody. Later on, I ran into David Maluff with Full Moon. David was a big fan of my cookies and was very encouraging. He said, ‘What are you waiting on? You’ve got the product. You’ve got the clients. I’ll help you figure it out.’ That was really his help–the affirmation that I could do this. He was a cheerleader for me. We walked in that tiny, long space in Homewood, and he said, ‘This is it. You need to do this.’ That was eight years ago. I am amazingly blessed. I give God all of the glory. Our reward comes from the hard. Reward doesn’t come from the easy. I was very blessed. The other huge mentor was Andy McMakin. He believed in me. He graciously shared several hours of his time with me when I was in that decision-making phase and was critical in me deciding I was going to do this.
How has the brand expanded in recent years?
Last year, Cookie Fix made more than 1 million cookies among three stores. Now, we have eight locations. Homewood and Cahaba Heights are company owned. Cahaba Heights came along four years after Homewood. Huntsville was our first franchise. They opened in February 2022. Berry Farms opened Oct. 31, 2023. The next four came all in a big bang between the last week of March and the middle of May 2024.
How do you decide what is going to be on the menu?
We shoot for it to be the same across all locations. Every day we have chocolate chip and healthy peanut butter. Every day, we have a cookie that has dark chocolate in it. We have a cookie that has caramel in it. We have a white chocolate cookie. We have an oatmeal-based cookie. We have a peanut butter-based cookie. We have a chocolate-based cookie. We have a plain cookie. That’s the layout of the menu. Generally, there’s 12 items a day. It’s a Monday, Wednesday, Friday menu and a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday menu. With specials thrown on top of that with certain specials on Monday-Tuesday, bars are on Wednesday; “Over the Top” is Thursday-Friday; and “Sammies” are on Saturday.
What are some of your favorite menu items?
I have developed all of the cookie recipes, but our team collaborates on the specials that use cookies as its base. For example, my favorite “Sammie” uses triple chocolate chunk with peanut butter icing rolled in Reese cups. We all throw ideas in the hat, but we do have one baker, Rebecca Riggs, at Homewood–that is her specialty. She is so good at creating new “Over the Tops.” My favorite flavor I have ever created is pumpkin pecan chocolate chip. It’s an October-November-only cookie, and it’s extraordinary.
Cookie Fix is located at 1021 Brocks Gap Parkway in The Village at Brock’s Gap. It is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit cookiefix.com to learn more.
